QUAD 1 Unfold arms and legs Remove the bolts and nuts outside the blue arms. Rotate the blue arms into position, and secure the arms in place with the same bolts and nuts. Slide arms into position front arms (blue) Remove Secure with bolt rear arms (black) travel position flight position Rotate the legs into place and secure through the inner hole with the provided bolt and nut. travel position flight position
2 Attach propellers Remove the rings from the propeller packages. Select the ring with the smaller internal diameter, and insert it into the back of the propeller hub. Remove the nuts and washers from the motors. Add SFP propellers to the front-left and back-right motors and SF propellers to the front-right and back-left motors with the writing facing towards the sky. Make sure the writing on the propellers faces the sky! SFP SF SF SFP Place the washer over the propeller, and secure the nut tightly on top. Always ensure that the propellers are fastened tightly to the motors before flying. 3 Charge battery Connect the charger to the power adapter cable and a wall outlet. Connect the red cable to the + port and the black cable to the - port. + red black Set the charger to LiPo and 3A. LiPo 3A
Connect the white connector to the 3S port. Join the two yellow connectors together. Secure battery inside the guard bag while charging. Charge until the status indicator displays green. 3S red green Charging Complete guard bag! Battery safety Protect battery from extreme heat, extreme cold, puncturing, and flammable surfaces. Always transport, charge, and store the battery in the guard bag. Charge battery using a designated LiPo balance charger only. Always monitor battery while charging. Flying with a low battery is a safety risk and can render the battery unusable. Always discontinue use when you receive a low battery notification, and always fly with a fully charged battery. Inspect battery for damage before takeoff and after landing. If you observe any swelling of the package or the battery ceases to function, locate your local battery recycling center to dispose of the battery. In the US and Canada, visit call2recycle.org to find a location. Do not dispose of the battery in the trash.
4 Flight modes Your copter s flight modes determine how it will behave in the air. Select a flight mode using the left switch above the right stick on the RC transmitter. Transmitters ordered with your copter arrive with three preset flight modes: stabilize, loiter, and return to launch. If you did not order an RC transmitter with your copter, visit 3dr.com/learn for instructions. Stabilize mode Stabilize is your copter s manual flight mode. It allows full manual control of altitude, position, and orientation without autopilot assistance. GPS X switch position: forward (away from you) no GPS lock required Loiter mode In loiter, the autopilot automatically controls altitude, position, and orientation. Just release the sticks and the copter will hover in place. GPS switch position: center GPS lock required Return to launch Return to launch (RTL) commands the copter to achieve a minimum altitude of 15 meters, return to the launch point, hover for five seconds, and land. GPS switch position: back (towards you) GPS lock required before takeoff
! Flight safety Your copter has powerful motors and high-speed propellers. Never place your hands near propellers while the motors are armed. Always disarm the motors using the RC transmitter before handling. Always fly in an open area away from people and buildings; do not attempt to fly indoors or in a confined space. Do not fly over people, near airports, or in any situation that could pose a hazard to those around you. Always fly within your line of sight and in compliance with local regulations. Your copter will not avoid obstacles on its own. As the operator, it is your job to recognize and avoid obstructions while flying. Always follow the preflight and postflight steps in the order described in this manual, and remain attentive at all times while flying. Environmental factors, such as wind and GPS irregularities, can cause instability in flight. To avoid potential hazards due to environmental factors, identify the boundaries of your flying area before takeoff, and recover the copter manually by switching into stabilize mode if it moves outside your designated flying area. Always use an RC transmitter as a primary or backup control system when flying. Ensure that the transmitter is turned on any time the copter is powered.
5 Flying Select an open area for flying, away from people and buildings, and remember to bring the Flight Checklist and a fully charged battery. 1 Before flying, turn on your RC transmitter. Make sure the left stick is set fully down and you have selected a flight mode. Check your copter to verify that the propellers are tight, antennas are vertical, and all components are secure. 2 Determine the boundaries of your flying area before takeoff, and select a level, unobstructed space as a launch point. Place the copter at the launch point with the blue arms facing away from you. 3 Connect the battery to the underside of the copter using the velcro straps. Ensure the battery is secured tightly before takeoff. 4 If you plan to use loiter, autonomous, or return-to-launch modes during your flight, check the APM s LED. Wait to see the solid blue LED, indicating that GPS lock has been achieved, before takeoff. If you plan to fly only in stabilize or altitude hold modes, you may proceed without GPS lock. LED 5 To arm the motors, hold the left stick bottom/right until the motors spin.
6 Control your copter in flight using the transmitter s left and right sticks. Navigate by orienting the blue arms to face forward. L L L left stick right stick Raise left stick to take off and gain altitude. Set left stick to center to hover. Move left stick left and right to rotate. R R L Use right stick to fly forward, backward, left, and right. Lower left stick to descend. Set stick fully down to land when close to the ground. 7 After landing, disarm the motors by holding the left stick bottom/left until the motors stop. 8 Once the motors are disarmed, disconnect the battery. Once the copter is powered off, turn off the transmitter. Follow these steps every time you fly.
Learning more Visit 3dr.com/learn for more instructions on configuring, flying, and maintaining your copter. Resources To learn more about the APM:Copter platform, including adding new flight modes and flying autonomous missions, visit copter.ardupilot.com. Support For customer support, contact us at help@3drobotics.com or call our support line at +1 (858) 225-1414 Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm, PST. Happy flying! QUAD Operation Manual V0 3D Robotics, Inc. 22 January 2014